The Raiders are a top-heavy team heading into the 2023 season. That much was known as the Raiders are really relying on their stars to carry them, at least early in the year.
The good news is that they are already off to a strong start as the usual studs performed well in the first game of the season. But which non-stars stood out on Sunday? Here are the five highest-graded players for the Raiders in their Week 1 win over the Broncos, according to Pro Football Focus:
DE Maxx Crosby – 89.7
LB Divine Deablo – 84.5
CB Nate Hobbs – 81.7
QB Jimmy Garopoolo – 81.1
WR Davante Adams – 75.9
At this point, it’s almost shocking if Crosby doesn’t have a big game. The Pro Bowl defensive end recorded six pressures to go along with four hurries and a sack on Sunday. He was the best player on the field and that is often the case whenever the Raiders play.
The most surprising development here is the play of Divine Deablo, whom the Raiders are relying heavily on this season. After moving on from Denzel Perryman, the Raiders are putting a lot of trust in Deablo to lead their defense. He certainly did that in Week 1, as he was targeted five times and did not allow a single yard in coverage.
Hobbs led the team in tackles with 10 as he is finally healthy and back to playing in the slot. The other cornerbacks struggled a bit for the Raiders, but Hobbs allowed just 21 yards on six targets while recording six stops in the run game.
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